Theories of Political Behavior and Tight Job Market

Case incident -2 Question and Answer Q1. What factors in addition to those cited, do you believe lead to illegitimate political behavior such as backstabbing? Answer:- The factors that will lead to illegitimate political behavior such as backstabbing are:- * competition * A tight job market is often a contributing factor. * Blind ambition. * Interpersonal relationship * Promotion opportunities. * Expectation of success. Q2. Imagine that a colleague is engaging in illegitimate political behavior toward you.What step might you take to reduce or eliminate this behavior? Answer:-The steps I will take to reduce or eliminate illegitimate political behavior of a colleague ate:- * Keep watching or know the thing happening in the surrounding environment. * If I observe that illegitimate political behaviour of a colleague may harm to me. I will make it clear to superior or pear in order to prevent future misunderstanding is not good to you as well as the organisation. Ask to the colleague is t he any conflict of odd among us what is the reason behind this kind of behaviour in order to minimise the gap. * Make the environment fruitful to all colleagues and superior, subordinate and also that of the organisation. * Employees in the organisation need to be aware of illegitimate political behaviour. * Companies may need to adopt formal policies to safe guard the employees against such behaviour. Q3. Do you believe that it is ever justifiable to engage in illegitimate political behaviors such as backstabbing?If so, what are some conditions that might justify such behavior? Answer;- No, it is not ever justifiable to engage illegitimate political behavior such as backstabbing, some conditions that might justify such behavior are:- * To sage guard against backstabbing, a management consultant recommends telling supervisor and other key Personnel that the backstabber is not friend * It is cleat that employees in organisation need to be aware of illegitimate political behaviour. * Companies may need to adopt formal policies to safe guard employees against such ehaviour. * The behaviour such as backstabbing and spread negative rumours are difficult to defect. Thus both employees and managers should try to verify information to avoid the negative repercussions that can come from backstabbing and other illegitimate behaviour. Q4. In addition to the obvious negative effect of illegitimate political behavior on victims , such as these described in the above case , what might be some negative effects on the perpetrators? On the organization as a whole?Answer:-The negative effects on the perpetrators of the negative effect of illegitimate political behavior on victims are:- The working environment of the organization is unhealthy Always there is a situation of conflict or grievances This may lead to the decrease in the profitability of the organization. Employees are unsatisfied with the job They are generally not committed to job for the organization. Real hard wor king and productive and efficient employee were de-motivated and leave the organization.

How Computers Are Essential in Criminal Justice Field

Computers take part in a big role in the Criminal Justice Field. So far computers have allowed us to make it accessible for witnesses to go through and look for a suspect's picture on the screen. Computers have enabled us to be able to do DNA testing. Which now only takes the labs a short time to process, and finding criminals from cases 15+ years ago can now be charged for their actions. There are laptop computers in police vehicles; therefore, police officers can look up information right then and there instead of having to wait until they get back to the station. Some cars even have the wireless Internet connection that goes through satellite which allows them to do even greater things. Computers have also allowed the use of fingerprinting to expand. Agencies can now take someone’s fingerprints and send them through the computer and find out if they are linked to any other cases going on at the time, or any other cases in the past. A computer forensic scientist or technician is still considered a cutting edge profession in the criminal justice field. With the increase of cybercrime, cyberterrorism, identity theft, and Internet child predators, computer forensic scientists are needed to track seemingly traceless criminals. Computer forensic scientists work with law enforcement officials, legal teams, independent companies and the government to conduct investigations, retrieve evidence and sometimes even testify in court. Computer forensic scientists are in high demand because they need to have a very thorough, practical knowledge of computers, networks, hacking, data retrieval, information security, and computer surveillance, as well as criminal justice concepts like confidentiality, privacy laws, evidence handling and more. Generally, computer forensic scientists are supervised during their work by a forensic scientist, and they must have the ability to work well in stressful situations. Depending on the casework, these professionals may also encounter irregular schedules and long overtime hours. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the job outlook for computer forensic investigators will be excellent for the next several years. This prediction is for self-employed investigators as well as those employed by a firm. Investigators who work on their own will enjoy more flexibility, but may make far less or far more than they would in a firm. Salary for self-employed investigators varies on their geographic location, experience and number of clients. You can read also King v Cogdon Firms offer more stability and usually provide benefits like paid vacation and health insurance. The average salary reported in 2006 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics was $33,750 for private investigators, although those in the computer forensics field generally earn higher salaries. The median range for private investigators settled between $24,180 and $47,740. Computer forensic scientists and investigators are expected to be highly educated professionals, so a bachelor’s degree is required. A Master’s degree in a field like computer science of criminal justice can be extremely beneficial to acquiring the top level jobs, as students in these programs will learn about all the cutting edge technologies, systems and concepts needed to succeed in computer forensics. A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem. Conventionally a computer consists of some form of memory for data storage, at least one element that carries out arithmetic and logic operations, and a sequencing and control element that can change the order of operations based on the information that is stored. Peripheral devices allow information to be entered from external source, and allow the results of operations to be sent out. A computer's processing unit executes series of instructions that make it read, manipulate and then store data. Conditional instructions change the sequence of instructions as a function of the current state of the machine or its environment . The first electronic computers were developed in the mid-20th century (1940–1945). Originally, they were the size of a large room, consuming as much power as several hundred modern personal computers (PCs). Modern computers based on integrated circuits are millions to billions of times more capable than the early machines, and occupy a fraction of the space. Simple computers are small enough to fit into mobile devices, mobile computers can be powered by small batteries. Personal computers in their various forms are icons of the Information Age and are what most people think of as â€Å"computers†. However, the embedded computers found in many devices from MP3 players to fighter aircraft and from toys to industrial robots are the most numerous. In the global village called the internet, not everyone plays nice. You always hear of the word â€Å"hack†. It is mostly used in relation to invading of computers. Most of these are not entirely true but computer network systems do get hacked. If and when it does happen, it usually involves something sinister. Even employees of companies do engage in snooping or to use our favorite word, hacking. The birth of the internet has led to more of this. Anyone can be anything online. This is why fraud, phishing, and identity theft happen. The computer has become an important part of everyday life. Sending letters have been entirely changed by emails. Communications have been dominated by instant and text messaging. Portable storage devices that were an exclusive preserve of Information Technology professionals are now used by the general public. I think you are already getting the idea of why computer forensics are needed. In the event that hacking does occur, the computer forensic will do the following: 1. Like any other investigation, the computer forensic must handle the area as a crime scene. He or she will take digital photographs and secure documentary evidence. This will include printouts, notes and disks in the scene. If you are the one who hired the computer forensic expert, you should leave everything to them. The computer system should be left as is whether it is turned on or off. If the computer was left on, the analyst will gather all the information that he or she can from the running applications. The computer will then be shutdown in a way that the data will not be lost. Doing a standard shutdown or pulling the plug is not an option. Both of these methods may cause the loss or damage of the data in the computer system. 2. The forensic investigator must then document the configuration of the system as you would document a crime scene. This should include the order of hard drives, modem, LAN, storage subsystems, cable connections, and wireless networking hardware. The analyst may make a diagram to go along with the digital photographs. They will also take portable storage devices within the area that may contain substantial evidence. 3. The computer forensic expert must take all the evidence to the lab. This is because the analyst should not examine the evidence in the same hardware. People who engage in cyber crimes are also aware that important data can be retrieved to convict them. Countermeasures, viruses and booby traps may be installed in the system to damage electronic evidence. Analysts take the hard drive in their lab instead to make an exact duplicate of its contents. This process is called Imaging. Analysts have their own tools to make sure that the data is copied completely and accurately. The duplicate will then be verified by an algorithm. The data is then examined and analyzed. The analyst makes a report of his or her findings and the process that was taken during the investigation starting from the acquisition of the data. This evidence will be presented in court if prosecution is necessary. Notable civil engineering projects, whose pioneers included Isambard Kingdom Brunel, contributed to the advancement of railway transport systems. Other advances pioneered in the UK include the marine chronometer, the jet engine, the modern bicycle, electric lighting, the steam turbine, the electromagnet, stereo sound, motion pictures, the screw propeller, the internal combustion engine, military radar, the electronic computer, photography, aeronautics, soda water, IVF, nursing, antiseptic surgery, vaccination and antibiotics. Scientific journals produced in the UK include Nature, the British Medical Journal and The Lancet. In 2006 it was reported that the UK provided 9 percent of the world's scientific research papers and a 12 per cent share of citations, the second highest in the world after the US. In the 1950s the UK had more Physics Nobel Prizes than any other nation, despite its relatively small size.

ADA Presentation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ADA Presentation - Essay Example suit because she believed that the employer had violated the rules of Americans With Disability Act (ADA) as well as Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). The outcome of the case was that the employer secured the verdict in his favor. The first issue that the court had to decide about was whether an employee who is fired because of his duty of care for her child was experiencing discrimination at the hands of the employer and whether the employer violated the provisions of FMLA (Leagle.com 1). The second issue that was under scrutiny was whether an employer was in violation of ADA and whether the employer could be held responsible for indulging in discriminatory employment practices if the employer fires an employee on the basis of the employee being absent from his place of work because he/she had to look after a disabled child. The rules that were used for the case were that an employee cannot be terminated from his/her duty because she was looking after a disabled child who she had a duty to care for (Leagle.com 1). The second rule that was used in the case was that the employer fired the employee because he/she had been absent from work. The third rule that was considered in the case was that the ADA does not require and employer to provide reasonable accommodating for the disabled child of an employee. The analysis provided by the court was that the employee was working in a significant department which was the energy department of the healthcare facility and it was essential for her to attend work on regular basis. Furthermore, the employer in the case had clearly provided the employee with five warnings regarding her termination as a result of being absent. Furthermore, the employer and the employee had been in an agreement that the employee would be allowed to take time off the job to look after the child but there was no evidence of the employer officially providing the employee with the permission of being absent from the job for the amount of time she had

Cast study- Iron Deficiency Anemia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cast study- Iron Deficiency Anemia - Essay Example Mrs. A hemoglobin and hematocrit levels fall below those of a healthy person. Her reticulocyte levels, erythrocyte count and RBC smear are also short of those of a healthy person. In addition to the below healthy values, the low blood pressure, increased temperatures, elevated respiratory rates and heart beat rate noted by the physician points to low oxygen levels in the cells. The low oxygen levels emerge from poor oxygen supply. Based on the cases and values represented, it is convenient for doctors to diagnose the type of anemia such as megaloblastic, pernicious, aplastic and iron deficiency anemia. Mrs. A values shows that she has iron-deficiency anemia. For 10-12 years, Mrs. A has dealt with menorrhagia and dysmenorrhea. Menorrhagia is the excessive losses of blood during the menstrual period while dysmenorrheal refer to the painful cramps that accompany the blood loss. Quite a number of women with bleeding disorders experience the two gynecological complications. Since it has been a long time that Mrs. A has experienced the blood loss, there is develops a high likely hood of developing iron deficiency anemia. Essentially, medical evidence points out that frequent menorrhagia and poor management of blood loss during the menstrual cycle increases the chances of getting iron-deficiency anemia. Iron deficiency anemia in adults, especially women, comes from blood loss (Meselson, 2013). The fact that Mrs. A ingests 1000 milligrams of aspirin after every 3 or 4 hours for six days during her menses increases the chances of further blood loss. Additionally, the ingestion of Aspirin to reduce the stiffness in her joints while playing golf i s dangerous to her well-being. Aspirin is non-steroidal in nature and it can trigger gastrointestinal bleeding. According to Burke and Deakin (1998) adolescent females that engage in endurance training bear higher risks of developing iron-deficiency anemia. Medical studies also identify

Group portfolio Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Group portfolio - Research Paper Example However, the organization sticks to its beliefs that successful companies move with the time while still devoting to developing a healthy and dynamic enterprise. One of the core cultural values that Haier group has is the rights and wrongs sense whereby the product users are considered always to be right while the company need to regularly improve itself (Sprague, 2002). The culture acts as the driving force, hence forming value for the customers; the employees work their best to meet the customer’s needs in addition to generating a wide variety of choices that they can choose from. The workforce has a mind-set, whereby, they feel the need to persistently advance themselves, which they perceive to be the only way they can continually refuse, dare and outdo themselves in order to realize their innovative character through change. The organization, in addition, has an adaptive culture that has led to its growth, whereby it maintains its pace with the social growth while maintaining an awareness of any changes occuring in the world. Its innovative character enables the firm to uphold a competitive benefit in the ever-changing market. Tha t is to say, the more radical the world changes the quicker the speed of customer’s variation, hence, the more lasting the inheritance turns out to be (Lin, 2005). In addition, the organization has employed the concept of two spirits, innovation and entrepreneurship, which are considered to be the genes for the company’s consistent culture. The genes ensure that all members of the workforce maintain their value in addition to guiding them in their individual development. It is also mandated for every employee to have the entrepreneurship and innovation spirits. Entrepreneurship is considered to be the spirit of pioneering work in which the company persuades all employees to have it (Yi, Jinsheng and Xian, 2002). They are encouraged to transform from being

Slavery Like A Social Vice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Slavery Like A Social Vice - Essay Example The victimization that included inhumane treatments and subjection to intense maltreatments were the abject manifestation of disregard to the fundamental rights of the people. The groups did not enjoy any liberty as the slave owners treated them as part of their property. They endured punitive jobs in callous conditions in order to sustain the profitability the white capitalists demanded from their investments. Slavery further led to the seclusion of the African Americans and the subsequent discrimination of the group. The cruel treatment of the African Americans influenced their mindset of the whites and cruelty the minority group expressed against the whites in retaliation. The post-slavery American society relied on the integration of all the races that make up the American society. The new American society required the participation and contribution of all the tribes since the government could not develop a mechanism of transferring the slaves back to their native lands. This imp lied that they would become Americans a feature that required their seamless incorporation into the society. This would however not happen easily owing to the negative attitude that the African Americans among other smaller populations that served as slaves developed against the whites. The African Americans did not feel the sense of belongingness for a long time even after the successful abolition of slavery owing to the negativity they accumulated over the slavery period and the cruelty they endured in the hands of the whites.

Adult learning and development theories applied to military education Assignment

Adult learning and development theories applied to military education - Assignment Example Established educational programs play an important role in influencing learning processes and program components, moderated by learning and developmental theories, empowers learning processes to success. Examples of learning theories are social cognitive orientation theory, transformational learning theory and self-directed learning theory while Piaget’s theory of cognitive development is an example of developmental theories. Class sessions, tutoring, advising, program evaluation, and mandatory assessment are examples of program components and this paper reviews them subject to learning theories and developmental theories. Transformational learning theory and educational learning components Transformational learning theory is core to adult learning program. The theory’s core construct is the learning approach in which adults transform their existing knowledge, opinions, and assumptions and assume a more open minded and comprehensive scope of their experiences. The theor y relies on meditations, based on positive and negative experiences that motivate an individual and those experiences that develop surprises to adult learners, leading to social change that may be evident in reduced poverty level in the society, enhanced knowledge base in the learners, or reduced level of oppression. Transformational learning also relies on learners’ rationale from which new knowledge constructs are developed from experiences (Merriam, Caffarella and Baumgartner, 2012; Westby, 2007). Class session defines the traditional learning process in which a teacher teaches students belonging to a given class. It is a common approach to adult education, especially because of fixed schedules converges learning time, and constrained facilities. The foundation of class session exposure of the learner to new knowledge and this identifies with diversified aspects of the transformational learning theory. Exposure to new knowledge offers a basis for reflection into the learne r’s experience, a process that triggers the transformational learning theory’s aspect of reconstruction of perspectives. Developed knowledge in class sessions also offer a benchmark for determining the motivational aspect of an experience as lower benchmarks would enlist positive attitude while high benchmarks would identify discouragements in a learner’s experience. Interactive class sessions also exhaust learners’ perspectives and rationale to transform approach to knowledge development and to changed held perspectives (King, 2009; Boylan, Bliss and Bonham, 1997). Unlike class sessions, tutoring focuses on small number of students per educators and may sometimes be done on a one-on one basis. Its scope is similar to the scope of class session and therefore identify with transformational learning theory. The tutor, in a facilitator role, exposes learners to constructs that evoke reflection and meditation upon experience to motivate new perspectives. Lear nt knowledge from the program component also establishes standards that motivate learners into reflections and meditations. Consequently, tutoring identifies with the transformational learning theory through its concepts that promote reflection, among learners, of their experience, meditation upon the experiences, and integration of the experiences and learnt concepts for a new perspective. Advisory and counseling initiatives are other major components of educational programs and apply to adult education. The adult learner prefers an active approach to knowl

Marketing Myopia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Marketing Myopia - Essay Example Therefore, an efficient marketer would carefully plan and adopt strategies which are customer oriented and would try to build profitable customers relationships. In this article, the author says that marketers today focus on production and selling rather than adopting customer oriented strategies. He urges marketers to concentrate on their industries and plan their activities strategically in order to remain competitive. He also tries to motivate the marketers to study the needs of the customers to make profitable customer relationships. The main focus of this article is on providing customer value and following a customer oriented approach. The article revolves around the customer oriented approach as presented 52 years ago but can still be applied to the modern world approaches these days. In this article, the author portrays that a lot of businesses in many industries have been declining or going through the declining stage, not because of saturation of the market but because of t he shortcomings of the management. The main setback is the inability of managers to concentrate on customers and find current customer needs. ... In order to find current customer needs and wants, marketers need to carry out effective marketing research and provide only those goods and services which are actually wanted by the customers. The author gives the example of the railway business and the reasons for its decline. He explains that the railroad business concentrated on their railways instead of the benefit of transportation that it provided. Other industries were able to take away their customers not because the demand for transportation decreased (it actually increase), but because the railway business itself gave other s the opportunity of taking away their customers. The author states that the main reason for their decline was that they were product oriented instead of being customer oriented. Another example was of the Hollywood industry which concentrated on the movie business instead rather than providing entertainment to the viewers. This gave way to TV which was customer oriented and providing true entertainment to the viewers. These examples give a clear indication that being product oriented can prove to be very harmful for the company as a whole and may even force it to go out of business. There are hundreds of such examples that we see everyday and therefore, marketers as well as managers should make sure that the business adopts those strategies which are customer oriented instead of being product oriented. The main purpose of these examples is that the author wants to show the managers and marketers that a single approach of whether being product oriented or market oriented can affect their entire organization and it disregards all the other plans and work done by the management. If the marketer`s main focus is on the product and its attributes rather than on the customer and his

Linux Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Linux - Assignment Example Enterprise version of Red Hat supports both server and workstation systems, which eradicates the compatibility issues that could have occurred if other versions may have used. Various different flavors of Red Hat make it beneficial, which can be purchased depending on the services that are required. For a full working IT department in an organization a simple version of customer support can be also be purchased for reducing cost. A complete version of support is also available upon requirement. When it comes to reliability, Red Hat Linux is considered to be the most stable and reliable Operating System. (Negus, & Boronczyk, 2008, p. 191-192)The main disadvantage of using Red Hat is that it is not free. Even downloadable version also involves cost and also subsequent support services. There are various versions different versions of Red Hat are available in the market. These version can be purchased directly from Red Hat Inc or through there distributors. They are as follows: Workstat ions Specifications Basic Workstation Dual CPU supports, memory support is unlimited, no virtualization available Multi OS Workstation Dual CPUs, unlimited memory, and virtualization available Server Specifications Red Hat Enterprise Linux Dual CPU server supports. Available for both 32bit and 64 bit architecture. Support available in three forms basic, standard and premium Has four virtual guests support Its advance version support server of all sizes along with unlimited virtual guests and storage Community Enterprise Operating System (CentOS) CentOS was developed by CentOS project community using the source code of commercial Linux (Red Hat). (Baclit,  2009, p.  xxi-xxii) The purpose behind this development was to provide a free and stable version of commercial Linux distribution and also to keep up with the requirements of an Enterprise. CentOS enabled the Enterprise standard Linux for general public without requiring purchasing it or signing a service contract. CentOS have pre-installed GUI interfaces GNOME and KDE, which makes it easier for the user to use this system. For avoiding legal issues CentOS doesn’t included DVD player software in it which can be termed as its drawback, but users can install a DVD payer through internet if required. It is most popular distribution of Linux used for web servers today. (Membrey, Verhoeven, & Angenendt, 2009, p. xx-xx) Reliability, low cost and ease of use are major factors for its popularity. CentOS do not require different license for each machine as compared to Microsoft Windows products. Once loaded on disk, then can be installed on as many servers or workstation as the user required, allows greater compatibility between both without any major performance issues. Online blogs, forums and websites are general support for CentOS. Feedbacks around globe shows that people using CentOS as workstation or server had never faced any serious issue. Several people who have used this distribution reported that no serious issue has been faced in both of its form i.e. workstation and server. Novell Novell is a known Linux leader; its distribution is formally known as openSUSE. Major advantage this OS has is its relatively bug free distribution. During development, lots of concentration is given to compatibility and functionalities between openSUSE and programs that will interface is it. (McCallister,  2006, p.  255-256) OpenSUSE is considered as a bit difficult to be installed. But

Public communication Ethics Case studies Essay Example for Free

Public communication Ethics Case studies Essay The International Smart Tan is a global synergetic consortium that has been committed to promoting as well as researching on responsible skin care for people who develop sunburns and tans. It teaches on methods of minimizing the risks that are associated with too little or too much sunlight (Tanning, 2008). Ultra Violet Radiation has been widely recognized as being carcinogenic thus causing various types of skin cancer. Exposure during the early years during adolescence and childhood are crucial as far as risks of skin cancers are concerned. Traditionally the major source of UVR exposures in the tanning purposes have been rays from the sun though tanning equipments have now represented amplified importance to sources of exposure mostly to the young adults and adolescents. This exposure amplifies the risks of melanoma. Most of the suns scare activists profit through marketing the distorted sun abstinence message to the public. Therefore grassroots health is the main organization that is fully committed in offering education on Vitamin D through launching a global public health campaign in order to solve the epidemic of Vitamin D deficiency. Therefore it is imperative to discuss how potter’s model is applicable in this case study, the ethical theories behind it and how I would communicate my position as far as the case study is concerned. Constant changes in the public health and the society have forced most health professionals to engage into some new roles and develop new competencies. Public health practitioners ought to be trained in order to respond to such challenges. Porter’s model of pure competition implies on the fact that the risks rates ought to be constant across industries and firms (Strategic management, 2010). His framework model assumes that industries are usually influenced by some forces. These forces are rivalry, threat of substitutes, buyer power, supplier power and threat of entry. Smart Tanning in order to pursue some advantage over its rivals had to improve on their communication strategies. They emphasized on the importance of vitamin D and its sufficient risks. They also exploited relationships with the other counterparts like the public health practitioners. As far as the buyer power is concerned, the relationship that the public have with Smart Tanning is amplifying and almost to monopsony level. Also there is a concept of supplier power as Smart tanning has some relationships with the hospitals thus suppliers are concentrated. They also face barriers because of government regulations that prompt them to offer the right information in order to uplift right health communication on causes of skin cancers and how effectively it can be solved. Strategy in Smart Tanning can be formulated on business, functional and corporate level. The business level is the major context as far as industry rivalry is concerned thus focus, differentiation and cost leadership ought to be implemented in order to create a competitive advantage. The generic strategies will help Smart Tanning to leverage its main strengths and defend on the serious effects of the forces. Some of the ethical theories that can be applied are the moral theory, utilitarian, virtue theories and others. Smart tanning has applied the utilitarian theory as it has focused on making everybody concerned and mostly the consumers happy. It has demonstrated that they have high standards when it comes to consumer education, employee training as well as the public welfare against fighting skin cancer. The moral and virtue theory has been used on the grounds that the tanning association has come with moral strategies to make sure that the public is not affected but rather are being helped. It has amplified the comprehension of professional tanning that moderates ultra-violet exposures from outdoor and indoor tanning that does recognize the manageable risks as well as benefits that are associated with the ultraviolet exposures of the light. The other is rational theory as tanning industry is quite effective on teaching about the prevention of sunburn than those who are after promoting sun avoidance. My personal take on this case study is that tanning industry is imperative as it will help in reducing skin cancers. However, there is loss of perspective that there are other psychological and physiological benefits that are also associated with sunlight that needs more research and the fact that most risks bare manageable for all people who have got the aptitude of developing a tan and for most people benefits of sun exposure do outweigh most risks that are associated with being overexposed. Also to a large extent it is crucial as smart tanning means comprehending both risks and benefits of sunlight. B. Right to Know vs. Personal Privacy (Ch. 5, Case 19, the Controversial Patriot Act) Tensions between public information and personal privacy will undoubtedly never ebb. Privacy issues do revolve on the conflict between the right of the public to know about something and the citizens’ right to keep the information to themselves (Joseph. , Robert Lucinda, 2008, pp. 121). It is therefore crucial to give limelight to some of the controversies that emerged in the Patriot Act which most address on information sharing. The Patriot Act was initially designed in order to enhance the investigations on federal anti-terrorism. However, the opponents of the senate asserted that the changes in the Act have failed to sufficiently address on the concerns of civil liberties with the raise of provisions. Section 203 (b and d) allows for information from the criminals to be shared with the intelligence agents as well as other government’s bodies (NPR, 2010). However, the major controversy is that most critics believe that the unrestricted sharing might lead to development of intense databases on citizens who are not the main targets of crime. The supporters however assert that the provisions will enhance sharing of information within the intelligence community as well as the FBI. Section 206 (NPR, 2010) allows for the wire tap authorization in order to cover many devices and eliminates the need for court authorizations to a suspect’s PC, cell phone as well as blackberry. The critics affirm that the language in the Act might lead to violations of privacy to anybody who might come into contact with a suspect. On the other hand, the government asserts that roving wiretaps are needed in order to deal with the sophisticated technological terrorists. Section 215 allows for easy access of business records (NPR, 2010). However, the critics attack this provision saying that the law can be used to order for reading records of bookstore patrons or library. On the other hand, the supporters allege that the provision will allow the investigators in obtaining documents that are connected to terror. Section (213) allows for the sneak and peek warrants where critics aver that the provision allows for search even for minor crimes apart from the espionage and terror crimes. The supporters assert that this provision allows investigators to search houses of criminals. Porter’s five competitive forces model are to a large extent applicable in this case study. As far as entry of competitors is concerned, it is very difficult for the government to implement on the provisions and receive full support with the major controversies that are emerging in the sections of the provisions. The critics will easily continue to criticize the provisions as long as there are questionable loopholes that raise concerns on mistakes, misuse and invasion of privacy. The Patriot Act is also under threat of being substituted or implemented to another that fits every citizen if it not properly defined by the government. The bargaining power of the buyers who are public in this case is quite strong and it will be difficult for them to work together unless the provisions are changed to adapt to everybody’s preference and for the good of all. There is a strong competition and argument between the government supporters and the critics because of the barriers created by critics. One of the ethical theories that are in relation to this is the utilitarian theory which seeks the happiness of the majority. The provisions should be implemented in a way that suit everybody and brings happiness to the majority if not to all people. The controversial issues are immense as they touch on privacy concept that ought to be reinforced and respected. The other is consequentialist or teleological theory that views on what ought to be done determined by the consequences. The government should analyze on some of the effects of these provisions. The other is moral duty. Any act of rule is proper as long as it satisfies all the demands of the overriding or non consequentialist principles of morality. The deontology theory also stresses that any value of any action does lie in motives instead of the consequences. All these theories do apply the issue as the government should aim at maximizing happiness, acting morally, focus on the consequences of the actions as well as make their motives known to the public to create acceptance. As far as am concerned, under the guise of the Patriot Act and in the name of defending freedom and fighting terrorism, The Act is doing neither. It is suppressing the rights of the Americans to dissent as it gives the government power to go ahead and conduct some secret trials as well as executions. For all who seek in preserving the democracy in USA, it is vital to consider all people rationally. Defense on democracy starts at home and there ought to be realization of democracy and freedom which the Act is quite antithetical to all. Since the inception of the Act, it has been shrouded with controversies and it is fair to have a clear and closer look to the consequences of the Act. This is an Act that will abuse access of private information as no one is in a position to define what suspicious behavior constitutes. The Act is a mere unpatriotic way of limiting the civil rights, infringing on the free communication or speech, interfering with freedom and infringing the citizen’s privacy rights. C. Media Interests vs. Community Interests; Ch. 9, Case 39, Gatekeepers II: Opening the Door) The broad concept of public interest is quite familiar to most people and is usually considered as defense from media intrusion of people’s privacy under certain circumstances. Most things constitute the public interest in a vulnerable rather than what can be deemed as strong sense. Where something or an information might be seen to affect only one person, it might be in public interest incase the effect usually involves other principles that will have adverse effect on the population for example the abuse of power or a grave crime. The media do try to maximize and equalize their audiences thus livening stories which would in the long run overstep the regulation guidelines. It is therefore imperative to give some facts about Gate Keeper’s II: opening the door is concerned. This is a story about a protest and the Horowitz advertisement. It offers background on Horowitz advertisement and his main idea of running the advertisement in the college newspapers. It offers critically friendly view on the purpose of the advertisement. Horowitz happens to be a neoconservative journalist who attempted to go ahead and publish an advertisement entitled â€Å"ten reasons why reparations for slavery are a bad idea for black people and racist too†. Most college newspapers like Columbia and Harvard rejected the advertisement since the editors thought it was racist and offensive. The newspapers pointed out on the fact that they were not in any position to accept all advertisers who are in a position to buy an advertisement. Few newspapers ran the advertisement and only the University of Chicago ran the advertisement without much hostility (Anthony, 2001). Most people view the rejection of the advertisement as evidence of a politically correct censorship in the American campuses but others have aired concerns on freedom of expression in USA. Some of the ethical theories that Horowitz should have focused on are virtue and moral theories that entails of behaving ethically without attacking any race. He should have also focused on utilitarianism theory to make sure he writes something that will bring maximum happiness to the majority. In my view, the Horowitz argument and essay was quite offensive to some extent. This is not because it was racist but he doesn’t deny on the fact that slavery did occur or Africans who were enslaved were seriously wronged. He attempts to set an argument purportedly ascertain on which groups did benefit from the slavery and how they did. He contends that Blacks benefited from the slavery. His arguments are to a certain extent offensive as his contention that the blacks benefited from slavery reduces the slavery wrongs. Also the argument that the blacks would be better in America than they would be in Africa sounds almost like justifying the brutal kidnappings on grounds the victim’s children might end up in countries with high living standard. References Indoor tanning: Smart tan. 2008. Retrieved 23, Aug 2010 http://www. tanningtruth. com/index. php/indoor_tanning/ Porter’s five forces. 2010. Strategic management. Retrieved 23, Aug, 2010 http://www. quickmba. com/strategy/porter. shtml Sebok, Anthony. 2001. The Horowitz slavery AD controversy, and the problem with conceptualizing human rights violations as property based. Retrieved 23, Aug, 2010 http://writ. news. findlaw. com/sebok/20010326. html Straubhaar, Joseph. , LaRose, Robert Davenport, Lucinda. 2008. Media now: Understanding media, culture and technology. USA: Cengage Learning The Patriot Act : Key controversies. 2010. Retrieved, 23, Aug 2010 http://www. npr. org/news/specials/patriotact/patriotactdeal. html

Role of therapeutic relationship within mental health nursing

Role of therapeutic relationship within mental health nursing Research is a significant component of the educational process and is essential for current and future professional nursing practice (Tingen, 2009). To describe what nursing research is, Tingen (2009) uses a definition by Polit and Beck (2006, p4) who describe it as a: Systematic inquiry designed to develop knowledge about issues of importance to nurses, including nursing practice, nursing education and nursing administration. Without research, nurses would not be able to practice evidence based care, the importance of which is stated within the Code of Conduct (Nursing and Midwifery Council 2008). According to Haynes and Haines (1998) evidence based practice aims to integrate current best evidence from research with clinical policy and practice. It is important to critically evaluate any research study to establish the significance and worth of each individual publication (Hek, 1996). For the purpose of this assignment I will use a universal critical appraisal tool that can be used to evaluate any type of research, which can be located in Appendix 1. It has been adapted and devised using appraisal tools from Hawker et al (2002) and the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) (Public Health Resource Unit, 2007). Background I have chosen to review the topic of therapeutic relationships within the field of mental health nursing. I feel this is a vital component in the nursing role, and something every mental health nurse should be skilled in. Literature states that the therapeutic relationship is a central element of care through which many aspects of mental health nursing is carried out (Priebe and McCabe, 2006). Search strategy My question is what role does the therapeutic relationship have within mental health nursing? I carried out my literature search using the Cinahl database. Although there are a variety of database choices, Cinahl produced ample results so other database searches were not required. Table 1 summarises my literature search results. Table 1: literature search strategy database name key words/phrases used database headings used search limits (inclusions/exclusions) no. results Cinahl (Search was conducted on 1st April 2011) therapeutic relationship and mental health None Primary research English language Peer reviewed 64 Therapeutic relationship and psychiatric None Primary research English language Peer reviewed 68 I searched the terms mental health and psychiatric separately but in conjunction with the words therapeutic relationship to ensure a more in-depth search as both terms are used interchangeably within literature. The three papers I have selected to review are Johansson and Eklund (2003), Scanlon (2006) and Forchuk et al. (2005). They were chosen so that both qualitative and quantitative research is included and that differing perspectives on the therapeutic relationship were researched. A summary of the relevant information from each article can be found in a critical appraisal grid in Appendix 2. Elements of the summary will be referred to in the following discussion. Critical Review: Research aims Any research paper should make clear the purpose of the study being reported so that the reader can establish whether or not it is relevant to them (Couchman and Dawson, 1990). It is suggested that an abstract or summary is a good way to give a brief overview of the content of the paper (Couchman and Dawson, 1990). Greenhalgh (2010) recommends that the introductory sentence of a research paper should state the background to the research. All three highlighted papers clearly set out their aims and give background information as to the importance of their study and why it has been chosen. The Forchuk et al. (2005) study aims to replicate a successful pilot study conducted several years earlier, but seemingly on a larger scale. Research approach/design When assessing the methodological quality and approach of a paper Greenhalgh (2010) proposes five key questions. They are; was the study original, whom was it about, was it well designed, was systematic bias avoided and was it large enough and continued for long enough to make the results credible (Greenhalgh, 2010). Johansson and Eklund (2003) give good rationale for the research design using literature as evidence. Both authors are experienced in the field of psychiatry, but the first author conducted all interviews, which helped to maintain consistency and credibility. Scanlon (2006) appears to have spent time designing her study, using established literature as well as her own experience to develop an interview guide which was piloted to ensure its suitability. The Forchuk et al. (2005) study describes a clear and concise research design using cluster randomisation. The study had a control group to compare to a group receiving the model used in the aforementioned pilot study. Ethical issues Any research involving human participants and animal materials or specimens is subject to ethical review, whether it is clinical, biomedical or social research, including the secondary use (Sheffield Hallam University, 2011). Literature regarding ethical considerations varies in the areas they discuss but in general, there are four main areas of ethical concern where the rights and dignity of the participant must be preserved, namely ensuring consent; prevention of harm; protecting confidentiality (Behi and Nolan, 1995; Marion, 2004); and that the research process provides more benefit than harm (Behi and Nolan, 1995). The study by Johansson and Eklund (2003) was initiated by the ethics committee of the county council, so it is assumed they were recruited to complete the study, although no information is given other than the authors had no collaboration with either of the two settings used to recruit participants. Although written consent was sought it is not stated as to whether the participants understood the aims of the study. Both Scanlon (2006) and Forchuk et al. (2005) provide little information other than ethical principles being followed. Sampling For any study to take place, the subjects must be selected, and this is called sampling. The process used to select a group of people, events, behaviours or situations must ensure that the subjects are representative of the population being studied (Burns and Grove, 2007), or the research will not be credible. The population being studied will guide what process will be used to complete the sampling process (Burns and Grove, 2007). Johansson and Eklund (2003) give in-depth and referenced reasoning for their chosen sampling process. However their attempts at ensuring maximum variation can be argued to have failed with only 9 participants recruited. In contrast, little information is given by Scanlon (2006) as to her sampling process, but there is a clear inclusion criterion for the sample of six participants. The sampling process used by Forchuk et al. (2005) appears to be in-depth with attempts to reduce any potential limitations or barriers. A large sample size of 390 participants partook in the study, which was a year long. A dropout rate of 36% resulted in 249 completing the study. Data collection Burns and Grove (2007) define data collection as the precise, systematic gathering of information relevant to the research purpose or the specific objectives, questions, or hypotheses of a study. The choice of data collecting technique used will be determined by the type and purpose of the study being conducted (Burns and Grove, 2007). The data collection method utilised in the Johansson and Eklund (2003) study was an open-ended in-depth interview with a clear focus. The interview was hand written during discussion with no other recording equipment used. They themselves admit that this can introduce bias and the potential for data to be missed using this process. To maintain consistency the interviewer was the same person for all interviews, but the person transcribing is not stated. Other than developing a piloted interview guide, Scanlon (2006) does not give detail about the data collection technique, other than semi-structured interviews being conducted. The interview guide is attached as an appendix. Data collection methods in the Forchuk et al. (2005) study would appear to be very thorough involving 5 tools, 3 of which were designed solely for this research. Data analysis After the data is collated, the research will be of no use to anyone if it is not analysed as it will have no meaning or explanation (McMichael, 2007). Analysis transforms the data collected into new knowledge (Thorne, 2000) and with its primary purpose being to impose some order to data so that conclusions can be made and communicated (Massey, 1995). The analysis process in the Johansson and Eklund (2003) study would appear to be very thorough. However the interviewer was one of the researchers categorising, so the transcripts were known and analysis may have been affected. Scanlons (2006) research provides a good example of thorough data analysis, using a recognised coding procedure comprising of three sets of coding. In contrast Forchuk et al. (2005) give little information regarding their data analysis providing only one small paragraph explaining how t-tests were used to test hypothesis. Findings The findings or results of any study should be presented in a way that advises the reader of any significant outcomes (Burns and Grove, 2007). It is suggested that tables and discussion are separate to as to avoid confusion (Couchman and Dawson, 1990). Johansson and Eklund (2003) give a good example of separating the ways in which the data is presented, with an in-depth discussion about each category. Sub categories were created to provide further clarity and quotes from interview are used to emphasise points. However the table gives little information other than the headings for each category and brings little value to the report. Scanlon (2006) uses an in-depth discussion to relay her findings, with quotes from participants supporting literature on the topic area. The studys aims have clearly been achieved. Considering the extent of data collected, the findings are surprisingly sparse in the Forchuk et al. (2005) paper. Baseline data is presented in a table, but little information is available as the findings did not support the hypothesis. Generalisability/transferability Generalisability refers to the extent to which research findings are valid and relevant to other settings (Pibouleau, 2009) and how useful they are (Altman and Bland, 1998). Pibouleau (2009) explains how poor reporting of generalisability can be a barrier to research findings being introduced to clinical practice. If findings are not generalisable then they will not be suitable to be implemented into clinical practice. The small scale of the study by Johansson and Eklund (2003) indicates that it is weak and that its generalisability is limited. They attempt to argue that due to having no contrasting findings that it gives rise to a certain degree of representativeness, but their conclusion contradicts this by stating there was some variation, the culprit being a patient with psychosis. Scanlon (2006) reports her study to not be generalisable due to its small scale. However, it does discuss how therapeutic relationships fit in with the role of psychiatric nursing, so the study can be argued to be transferable to the wider population. The Forchuk et al. (2005) study failed to meet its aims, so is not generalisable in any way. This is despite it being based on a successful pilot study conducted some years previously. Implications for practice The research by Johansson and Eklund (2003) offers very little implication for practice other than to offer issues that should be addressed in future similar studies. The study is flawed, and has limitations and contradictions within the discussion. Both authors have previous experience in research in the topic area which is evident in the referencing of their own work, so it raises concerns that these issues have not been addressed in previous work. In contrast Scanlon (2006) recognises all flaws in her study, and gives several recommendations for future research. The fact that the interview guide is included and the findings discussed in such depth allows the study to be replicated. Very little can be gained from the Forchuk et al. (2005) research with regards to enhancing practice, but recommendations are made for future study, almost as a token gesture. However, the paper does highlight factors to consider when planning the discharge process to ensure success, so cannot be comple tely dismissed. Discussion Considering the significance of therapeutic relationships within the field of mental health and the importance it plays within the role of the nurse, the analysis of the highlighted papers is disappointing. The Johansson and Eklund (2003) paper is flawed offering nothing significant for clinical practice. The Forchuk et al. (2005) study failed to meet its aims and as a result provided very little information other than the importance of providing support in the transition from hospital to community. Although very valid, this is does not compensate for the complete failure of the research which was based on a successful pilot. It can be argued that the only paper critiqued that can offer anything to clinical practice is that published by Scanlon (2006), but then her conclusions infer the opposite. Despite the fact that her study can easily be replicated and recommendations for future research are offered, she casts doubt by having a negative focus on her findings. Conclusion This critical review has little to offer to address my question, but the background research and literature reviews within the reviewed papers does offer a rich source of secondary information. Despite that none of the studies have generalisability; they do highlight issues that future researchers should be aware of. From this review it seems that a qualitative approach is best suited to a study in this topic area. It is recommended that the flaws and limitations highlighted in the above research designs are used to establish an effective method for evaluating the role of the therapeutic relationship in mental health nursing. References ALTMAN, D.G. and BLAND, J.M. (1998). Generalisation and extrapolation. [online]. British Medical Journal, 317 (7155), 409-410. Article from British Medical Journal last accessed 1 April 2011 at: http://www.bmj.com.lcproxy.shu.ac.uk/content/317/7155/409.full.pdf BEHI, R. and NOLAN, M. (1995). Ethical issues in research. British Journal of Nursing, 4 (12), 712-716. BURNS, N. and GROVE, S.K. (2007). Understanding Nursing Research: Building an evidence-based practice. 4th ed., China, Saunders Elsevier. COUCHMAN, W. and DAWSON, J. (1990). Nursing and health-care research. London, Scutari Press. FORCHUK, C. et al. (2005). Therapeutic relationships: from psychiatric hospital to community. [online]. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 12 (5), 556-564. Article from Ebscohost last accessed 1 April 2011 at: http://web.ebscohost.com.lcproxy.shu.ac.uk/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=f3dd7acd-4bbe-4931-88aa-e5fbf505b948%40sessionmgr14vid=2hid=10 GREENHALGH, T. (2010). How to read a paper: The basics of evidence-based medicine. 4th ed., West Sussex, Wiley-Blackwell. HAWKER, S. et al. (2002). Appraising the Evidence: Reviewing Disparate Data Systematically. [online]. Qualitative Health Research, 12 (9), 1284-1299. Article from Sage last accessed 1 April 2011 at: http://qhr.sagepub.com.lcproxy.shu.ac.uk/content/12/9/1284.full.pdf+html HAYNES, B. and HAINES, A. (1998). Barriers and bridges to evidence based clinical practice. British Medical Journal, 317 (7153), 273-276. HEK, G. (1996). Guidelines of conducting critical research evaluation. Nursing Standard, 11 (6), 40-43. JOHANSSON, H. and EKLUND, M. (2003). Patients opinion on what constitutes good psychiatric care. [online]. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences, 17 (4), 339-346. Article from Ebscohost last accessed 1 April 2011 at: http://web.ebscohost.com.lcproxy.shu.ac.uk/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=c7e46787-eb49-4138-85ac-a8a551792d91%40sessionmgr11vid=2hid=10 MARION, R. (2004). Ethics in research. [online] Last accessed 1 April 2011 at: http://www.sahs.utmb.edu/pellinore/intro_to_research/wad/ethics.htm MASSEY, V.H. (1995). Nursing research. Pennsylvania, Springhouse Corporation. MCMICHAEL, C. (2007). Qualitative data analysis. [online]. Last accessed 2 April 2011 at: http://www.latrobe.edu.au/publichealth/Units/phe6/phe6hrb/Week%206%202007%20Analysis.pdf NURSING and MIDWIFERY COUNCIL (2008). The Code in Full. [online]. Last accessed 1 April 2011 at: http://www.nmc-uk.org/Nurses-and-midwives/The-code/The-code-in-full/#standard PIBOULEAU, L. (2009). Applicability and generalisability of published results of randomised controlled trials and non-randomised studies evaluating four orthopaedic procedures: methodological systematic review. [online]. British Medical Journal, 339 (b4538), 1-8. Article from British Medical Journal last accessed 1 April 2011 at: http://www.bmj.com/content/339/bmj.b4538.full POLIT, D.F. and BECK, C.T. (2006). Essentials of nursing research: Methods, appraisal, and utilization. 6th ed., Philadelphia, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins. PRIEBE, S. and MCCABE, R. (2006). The therapeutic relationship in psychiatric settings. [online]. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 113 (s429), 69-72. Article from Wiley last accessed 1 April 2011 at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.lcproxy.shu.ac.uk/doi/10.1111/j.1600-0447.2005.00721.x/pdf PUBLIC HEALTH RESOURCE UNIT (2007). Appraisal Tools. [Online]. Last accessed 1 April 2011 at: http://www.phru.nhs.uk/Pages/PHD/resources.htm SCANLON, A. (2006). Psychiatric nurses perceptions of the constituents of the therapeutic relationship: a grounded theory study. [online]. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 13 (3), 319-329. Article from Ebscohost last accessed 1 April 2011 at: http://web.ebscohost.com.lcproxy.shu.ac.uk/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=476f44a1-8cff-4a3c-a40f-c96bc336d3c3%40sessionmgr14vid=2hid=10 SHEFFIELD HALLAM UNIVERSITY (2011). Research ethics: 1. Research involving human participants. [online]. Last accessed 1 April 2011 at: http://students.shu.ac.uk/rightsrules/resethics1.html THORNE, S. (2000). Data analysis in qualitative research. Evidence Based Nursing, 3 (3), 68-70. TINGEN, M.S. et al. (2009). The importance of nursing research. Journal of Nursing Education, 48 (3) 167-170. Appendix 1 A Universal Critical Appraisal Tool Adapted from HAWKER, Sheila et al (2002) Appraising the Evidence: Reviewing Disparate Data Systematically. Qualitative Health Research, 12 (9), 1284-1299 and the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) appraisal tools: http://www.phru.nhs.uk/Pages/PHD/CASP.htm 1: Research aims and research question: Is there a clear statement of aims and a research question? Consider: Is the goal of the research clearly stated? Are reasons given for why the research is relevant or important? 2: Research approach/design: Is the approach appropriate and clearly explained? Consider: Is the research approach/design justified? Is an explanation offered as to why it was chosen? 3: Ethics: have ethical issues been addressed and was necessary ethical approval obtained? Consider: Are issues of confidentiality, sensitivity and consent addressed? Are research governance processes clearly described? 4: Sampling: Is the sampling strategy appropriate to address the research aims? Consider: Is how the participants were recruited, selected or allocated explained? Are details provided (e.g. race, gender, age, context) of who was studied? Is the sample size for the study justified? 5: Data collection: Are the methods of data collection appropriate and clearly explained? Consider: Is it clear how the data were collected and are the methods chosen justified? 6: Data analysis: Is the description of the data analysis sufficiently rigorous? Consider: Is there a clear description of how analysis was done Qualitative Is there a description of how themes or concepts were derived? Quantitative Are reasons for the statistical tests selected described and statistical significance discussed? 7: Findings: Is there a clear description of the findings? Consider: Are findings explicit, easy to understand and in logical progression? Are tables, if present, explained in the text? Do results relate directly to the aims? Are sufficient data presented to support the findings? 8: Transferability or generalisability: Are the findings of this study transferable, or generalisable to a wider population? Consider: Are the context and setting of the study described sufficiently to allow comparison with other contexts and settings? Is there sufficient detail provided about the sample (as in section 4)? 9: Implications and usefulness: How important are these findings to policy and/or practice? Consider: Do the findings contribute something new and/or different in terms of understanding, insight or perspective? Are ideas for further research suggested? Are implications for policy and/or practice suggested?

Credit Crunch :: Financial Crisis, Increased Interest Rates

Credit crunch, the sudden reduction in the availability of liquidity (loan or credit) in the financial market that lead to higher rates of borrowing, has occurred at 9 August 2007 ((National Council for Voluntary Organisations, 2010; Investopedia ULC, 2010; Anon., 2009). This mainly due to the housing bubble in between 2000 to 2007 (Xu, 2009) that dampen the confidence of financial institutions to lend which thus increased the interest rate by 20%, make it nearly impossible for companies to borrow (Xu, 2009; Buzzle.com, 2010; Investopedia ULC, 2010). This has therefore impact every form of business, as well as, the multinational enterprise - that based in one country, but has operate various business activities through a network of subsidiaries in one or more foreign countries (Hodgetts, R.M & Rugman, A.M., 2003) One of the multinational enterprises that being affected is Ford Motor Company, an automotive manufacturer, based in Dearborn, America which founded and incorporated by Henry Ford on 16th June, 1903 (Iloveindia.com, 2010; Anon., 2010). Prior to this credit crunch issues, Ford is aggressively on investing in foreign countries and acquisition of other companies. It has begun its foreign investment after the first manufacturing plant build in the small town of Walkerville, Canada on August 17, 1904. (Novelguide.com, 2010), and has started to take over other companies, such as Mercury, Volvo (Sweden), Aston Martin (UK) and a 33% of Mazda (Japan), after the first acquisition of Lincoln Motor Company in 1925 (Answer.com, 2010; The Super Cars, 2010). Furthermore, in the mid-1980, Ford has diversified into financial services, namely Ford Motor Credit Company (FundingUniverse, 2004; Anon., 2010), and has soon become the country's second largest provider of diversified financial services, ranking only behind Citicorp after take over The Associates, a Dallas-based finance company in 1989 (FundingUniverse, 2004). It has thus expanded the manufacturing, assembly and sales facilities in 34 countries (Freeonlineresearchpaper.com, 2009) which group in four principal regions – North America (parent country), South America, Europe and Asia Pacific (Ford Motor Company, 2008). In order to manage the huge organization smoothly, Ford seeks a balance between centralized leadership and decentralized implementation in its parent and host country (Bazak, et al., 1998.). Hence, the management in each region company has maintain a corporate jurisdiction, where, each had its own manufacturing processes , product development systems, suppliers, and other duplicative structures the regions along but still under the general supervision of the main office. (Ford Motor Company, 2008).

Epiphany in Araby of James Joyces Dubliners Essay -- Joyce Dubliners

Araby: An Epiphany  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The story, "Araby" in James Joyce's Dubliners presents a flat, rather spatial portrait. The visual and symbolic details embedded in the story, are highly concentrated, and the story culminates in an epiphany. An epiphany is a moment when the essence of a character is revealed , when all the forces that bear on his life converge, and the reader can, in that instant, understand him. "Araby" is centered on an epiphany, and is concerned with a failure or deception, which results in realization and disillusionment. The meaning is revealed in a young boy's psychic journey from love to despair and disappointment, and the theme is found in the boy's discovery of the discrepancy between the real and the ideal in life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The story opens with a description of North Richmond Street, a "blind," "cold ... .. silent" street where the houses "gazed at one an-other with brown imperturbable faces." It is a street of fixed, decaying conformity and false piety. The boy's house contains the samesense of a dead present and a lost past. The former tenant, a priest,died in the ba... ...stern enchantment." His love, like his quest for a gift to draw the girl to him in an unfriendly world, ends with his realizing that his love existed only in his mind. Thus the theme of the story-the discrepancy between the real and the ideal-is made final in the bazaar, a place of tawdry make-believe. The epiphany in which the boy lives a dream in spite of the ugly and the worldly is brought to its inevitable conclusion: the single sensation of life disintegrates. The boy senses the falsity of his dreams and his eyes burn "with anguish and anger."   

computer architecture :: essays papers

computer architecture Computer architecture covers the design of system software, such as the operating system (the program that controls the computer), as well as referring to the combination of hardware and basic software that links the machines on a computer network. Computer architecture refers to an entire structure and to the details needed to make it functional. Thus, computer architecture covers computer systems, microprocessors, circuits, and system programs. Typically the term does not refer to application programs, such as spreadsheets or word processing, which are required to perform a task but not to make the system run. In designing a computer system, architects consider five major elements that make up the system's hardware: the arithmetic/logic unit, control unit, memory, input, and output. The arithmetic/logic unit performs arithmetic and compares numerical values. The control unit directs the operation of the computer by taking the user instructions and transforming them into electrical signals that the computer's circuitry can understand. The combination of the arithmetic/logic unit and the control unit is called the central processing unit (CPU). The memory stores instructions and data. The input and output sections allow the computer to receive and send data, respectively. Different hardware architectures are required because of the specialized needs of systems and users. One user may need a system to display graphics extremely fast, while another system may have to be optimized for searching a database or conserving battery power in a laptop computer. In addition to the hardware design, the architects must consider what software programs will operate the system. Software, such as programming languages and operating systems, makes the details of the hardware architecture invisible to the user. For example, computers that use the C programming language or a UNIX operating system may appear the same from the user's viewpoint, although they use different hardware architectures. When a computer carries out an instruction, it proceeds through five steps. First, the control unit retrieves the instruction from memory—for example, an instruction to add two numbers. Second, the control unit decodes the instructions into electronic signals that control the computer. Third, the control unit fetches the data (the two numbers). Fourth, the arithmetic/logic unit performs the specific operation (the addition of the two numbers). Fifth, the control unit saves the result (the sum of the two numbers). Early computers used only simple instructions because the cost of electronics capable of carrying out complex instructions was high. As this cost decreased in the 1960s, more complicated instructions became possible. Complex instructions can save time because they make it unnecessary for the computer to retrieve additional instructions. For example, if seven operations are combined in one instruction, then six of

Multiculturalism vs. Melting Pot Essay

Before I begin discussing these two topics, we must fully understand what they mean. The definition in the dictionary states that, multiculturalism consists of, relates to, or is designed for the cultures of several different races. Whereas the word melting pot is not a term used in the dictionary. For the purpose of this assignment I will make up my own definition for both these terms. Multiculturalism to me is defined as abundant amounts of cultures in one area. Or it is simply a society where many different types of people with diverse cultural backgrounds, religion, and traditional values and beliefs cohabit peacefully with one another. It is the unification of diverse cultures, multilingual talents, and the ability to accept one another. (Although this may not actually happen) Others see it as the union of all creeds, colors, religion that is free from prejudice, an open minded group of people who are able to step beyond themselves and explore each others interests while keeping their own interests and lastly allowing oneself and others the flexibility to be able to express one’s thoughts and definition of culture that is free from ridicule. The term multiculturalism is usually used in reference to Canada more than it is to the U.S. However if we take a closer look, America is also multicultural, but they believe in the melting pot idea. Multiculturalism does not mean the same thing to everyone. Before we can address the advantages or disadvantages of a multicultural society, we need to understand these differing viewpoints. Melting pot: The word melt can mean to be dissolved. The image that I get when I think about this term, is a group of many different; diverse people that are being assimilated or dissolved into one people, the American people. It is where newcomers melt into the American way of life. Basically  it is viewing yourself as an American first, and then your ethnic background second. This is the exact opposite idea from that of multiculturalism. However some multiculturalists consider the â€Å"melting pot† a metaphor for oppressive assimilation. To them, the only way you can melt in the pot is by assimilating–becoming similar to–the dominant or â€Å"hegemonic† white culture. Strengths and Weaknesses: Multiculturalism: First we must understand that no nation is born multicultural. It is the people and way of life that determine this factor. Multiculturalism was set up as a national symbol for Canadians and fulfilled the need for a distinctive Canadian identity. As a political tool multiculturalism has several uses. The meeting of different life views, cultures, beliefs, religions, ethnic habits, etc. Diversity is about accepting the whole person including the culture he or she brings – the customs, gestures, dress, voice quality, patterns of speech, hairstyles etc. Differences are okay to have. Multicultural diversity is what results of centuries of immigration. All Canadians, including the Native People, can trace their origins to an immigrant past. Only about 16% of today’s Canadian citizens were born outside of Canada. By recognizing multiculturalism as a fundamental characteristic of Canadian identity and national heritage, Canadians of all cultural origins have the opportunity to contribute to the common goals of equality, sharing, social justice and economic prosperity. It also maintains ancestral ethnic and cultural ties while simultaneously feeling a part of Canada. Culture helps people understand life; from the different types of background and races is how we educate ourselves and look at things from a different perspective. Given these strengths and advantages, it does not indicate that there are no flaws in this system. The following reasons are a perfect example of this. In the unpleasant world of practical politics, multiculturalism encourages quotas over competition. That is the problem: On the one hand, they want all heritages and groups to be equal. On the other hand, they want some to be more equal than others. Canada is a multicultural nation, but unfortunately both racism and prejudice still exist. When looked at, you are viewed in terms of some group category: race, ethnicity, class, gender, nationality, etc One cannot take up multiculturalism and expect students to see each other as individual human beings. Historically, diversity has torn nations apart. Finally a successful multicultural society is one that learns to appreciate the needs of others and not just their own cultural needs. Melting Pot: The idea of a ‘Melting Pot’ is to provide an environment where new ideas can be advised and advanced, where people can invite others to share their influential thinking, where people can discover others working in similar areas and with whom they may wish to begin teamwork, where public and private exchanges can occur as we all try to move forward in our thinking and experience. With this idea we are more patriotic to the Country that we live in, like in America people consider themselves American above all. It is a way of understanding American identity. Puts everyone as an equal person by bringing them together as one culture, because they are know as an American. Causes America to put up a flag of all the cultures represented. America is a melting pot because all different cultures are represented here. Immigrants from all over the world gather together in the â€Å"land of opportunity† to share their ideals, however this is not always good and it has flaws just like the multicultural system. We are all different, inside and outside, to be melted away means to take away something. By being in a melting pot system we don’t have the chance to educate ourselves and our children about history, and the different cultures, which they should obviously know about. Although the immigrants are considered as an American in this system, they know that when asked who they are, they should respond with the answer: â€Å"I am American.† However inside they realize that their background is not really an American, because they were not born in America. I think that some Americans (those born in America, feel challenged by the other people.) We often forget about who we are, because in this system it is considered second.

Black on Black Violence Essay

Black on black violence has been on the rise in the recent years. 1 in 146 black males are at risk of violent death, whereas the ratio for white men is 1 in 189. What do we mean by â€Å"Black on Black crime? † It may be described as anytime a Black person inflicts violent harm on another Black person. The effects of this violence in the Black community are tremendous. Violence is very much part of what it means to be Black in America. Another issue in America is putting the wrong people on death row. Most of the time it is just to a guilty verdict so the prosecutor’s family can move on. This is exactly what happened in the case of Walter McMillian who was accused and found guilty of murdering a Ronda Morrison by gunshot. In this passage I will explain some of the black on black violence seen in America, talk about some of the excerpts from Les Payne and Glenn Loury’s argument, and explain McMillians trial plus the racial inequality he experienced. Jesse Jackson once said in order to have a safer living environment you â€Å"must get the guns off the streets†. It was said that in LA County that African-Americans have a 1/29 chance of being murdered while whites are only a 1/186 chance. So why are blacks at such a greater risk than whites? One explanation can be the black on black violence that is occurring in our society today. Of the violence that blacks do use it has been reported that 94% of it is used on other black peoples. Early on in life is where the kids look up to their peers and want to do what they do and act how they act. And this sole factor is the reason the violence in communities is on the rise. The role models in these young black kids’ lives are often drug dealers or gang members and this can be attractive to the youth. They see all the material items these dealers and gang members have and they want it too. But what these children do not understand is the means that these older role models obtain these goods. A woman named Mary Ross is a member of LA County and she said you have to fight in order to make it in these poorer neighborhoods. She said that she applied for a job and so did a white woman. Mary claims that the white girl got the job just because of the color of her skin and not the skills she would bring to the job. So she feels the only way to live her life is by stealing and robbing from others. When she does fight Mary says she will not stop until she sees a lot of blood. Currents TV also interviewed her husband Anthony Carter. He says that there is anger on the streets that leads to this violence and that there is a lack of opportunity and blatant discrimination on the community’s part. The vast majority of the people living in poor neighborhoods are law abiding citizens but because of where they live they are sucked into the violence. Frankie Lee Randolph, a 24 year old, was one of these law abiding citizens who was caught in the cross fire of a violent black community. He was in the service, had a good job and a good family but one day he was just stabbed to death for no apparent reason. These families who do obey the law want police protection but not the police brutality they see often. Being poor and having low self-esteem could lead to a lot of the violence and anger in those communities. It seems the higher up you are in society the more informed decisions you make. The people in poorer black communities feel as if their lives are being attacked so they need weapons for protection. They are surrounded by violence so you need to be prepared for the unexpected. The people of these neighborhoods feel as if they need to take action before the action comes at them. Then and only then do they feel like they are in control. Experiencing violence increases the likelihood that a person will use violence against someone else later. So violence in the community is like a snowball rolling down a hill in an avalanche, getting larger as it goes along, sweeping up more and more in its path. Violence is a self-perpetuating problem. Next, the Currents TV switched into an interview with Glenn Loury and Les Payne. Loury brought up the issue of blacks choosing their own destinies while Payne brought up the issue of a psychic genocide. Loury said that blacks can educate themselves and make their own lives better; it was their personal responsibility. He says we need to give them the means but also lead them down the right path. There is more weight on protecting the majority of the law abiding citizens and more effort to help the violent minority. Loury then goes on to say that behavior and home life lead to this violence and people make their own choices, whether they be good or bad ones. He basically sums up his arguments by stating the black communities need to advance their own interests and to get their act together and take care of yourself and who you take care of. Les Payne began his argument by explaining to us that black are made to feel inferior to the white race; what he calls a psychic genocide. How are these kids going to get educated? That is an American problem. It is a public problem for this country. There isn’t any shortcut to it. There’s no easy answer to it. Payne states that black life is becoming cheapened and there is a very fine line from those who are successful and those who are not. He then says that drugs are destroying the community when they are being brought in. Drugs lead to violence, mistrust within the community, and a lack of supervision on the streets. It’s got to deal with the laws, the institutions that influence our people. We have to talk about it as an American community. Finally, I will touch upon the case involving Walter McMillian. It was alleged that McMillian went into a cleaners and robbed and murdered the clerk there, 18 year old Ronda Morrison. McMillian says he was at home doing a fish fry that day. The arrest came after seven months where police had no leads at all until Ralph Myers, a white man with a long criminal record, came forward. He was arrested for the murder of another young woman in Alabama. Meyers was interrogated about Ronda Morrison’s murder and eventually stated that Walter McMillian, a 46-year-old black man from Monroe County, had killed Ronda. Two other witnessed corroborated parts of Myerss story. Meyers described the way the body was positioned and supposedly gave strong details about the scene of the crime. But investigators said that his testimony was wrong and that the body was never moved because there was a distinct dust on the floor that was undisturbed. There were no finger prints, ballistics, and no physical evidence whatsoever. Meyers stated that he drove McMillian’s truck to the store and then began hearing popping sounds from inside. Meyers then went inside and saw McMillian over the body with money in his hands. The state needed a corroborator for Meyers’ statement to hold up by law. Bill Hooks was this man. He said he drove by and saw McMillian get in passenger side at cleaners with Meyers as driver. Hooks knew it was his truck because his truck had been lowered. McMillian said it could not have been his because he got his truck lowered six months after the murder took place. Plus McMillian and a friend both said that it could not have been his because his truck had no transmission in it, so it was not even able to start. Defense lawyers said that Hooks got assistance from the cops for the incriminating statement. This assistance included getting released from jail, having his charges dropped, and $5,000. Near the end of the trial prosecutors brought up the issue of McMillian â€Å"running around† with a white woman. McMillian was sentenced to death row for six years before being released after the truth came to light. There were many issues of racism and inequality during the investigation and trial. First of which was the false statement given by the three witnesses. Prosecutors told him his testimony would give him a reduced sentence. DA Chapman indicted Meyer’s based on perjury where he gave a false statement while being in oath. Witnesses who had testified against McMillian admitted that they had committed perjury. Next there was the fact that there was no evidence that would incriminate McMillian at all. No physical evidence, no fingerprints, and no ballistic reports. It was as if the court just wanted to find someone to place the blame. All they had was the testimony of three individuals. More often than not this would not be enough for a trial, but because of the implications, murder of white woman and alleged killing of a black man, it was enough for Alabama courts to try. McMillian later said that he was convicted because he was with a white woman and because his son also married a white woman. In addition, it became clear that the prosecution had hidden exculpatory evidence, including the existence of a witness who had seen the victim alive after the time at which the prosecution contended the crime had occurred. The defense asked that the trial be moved from Monroe County because of all the publicity surrounding the case. The judge agreed to move the trial from Monroe County to Baldwin County, which had a substantially smaller percentage of black people in its population. There was also the fact that the jury in the trial recommended a life sentence for McMillian but the judge overruled this recommendation and sentenced him to death. McMillan said he never doubted his innocence would come to light, but when asked whether he has faith in the justice system, he responded: â€Å"No. Not at all. â€Å"

Factors Contributing to Christopher Columbus’ Voyage

Christopher Columbus departed Spain on August 3, 1492 for his first voyage. He stopped at the Canary Islands for a final restocking and left there on September 6. He was in command of three ships known as the Pinta, the Nina, and the Santa Maria. On October 12, they first sighted land which turned out to be a small island in present-day Bahamas (Minster, 2012a). There are various factors which influenced Christopher Columbus to undertake this voyage. He had a personal interest and determination to find a faster more efficient route to the East Indies. King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella financed his voyage because they were interested in material wealth and converts for Spain. The time period in which Columbus lived also had a great influence since the Renaissance period was a time of exploration and finding new meanings for existence. Christopher Columbus examined mostly southward voyages of the Portuguese into the Atlantic and Africa and thought that one could also sail westward and ultimately reach India. This belief was also influenced by accounts he read from the travel accounts of writer Marco Polo. Columbus may have conceived this idea of sailing west to reach Asia as early as 1481 in a correspondence which he sent to Italian Scholar, Paolo del Pozzo Toscaneli. Apart from proving his theory of traveling westward, Columbus also had a personal interest on the voyage. When King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella approved his voyage, Columbus would become viceroy of all the lands located and he would keep a tenth of all values found (â€Å"Thinkquest,† 2013). When Columbus sighted land, he believed he had reached the Asian islands as is evident in his self-promoted letter which he sent to the King and Queen of Spain. When Columbus developed his theory of sailing westward across the Atlantic in search of a shorter route to Asia, he first submitted his proposal in 1484 to John II, King of Portugal. He wanted the Portuguese to finance his expedition across the Atlantic. The King passed on the petition to the Royal Maritime Commission who rejected Columbus since other ships were already traveling to Africa (â€Å"Ucalgary,† 1997). Columbus then moved to Spain where he petitioned Queen Isabella. The Royal Commission first rejected his plan but he tried once more in 1492 when it was approved. Spain had its own interest in the voyage since it had a desire to spread Christianity and claim new land to expand its empire. They were also interested in the Northwest Passage which Columbus claimed since it would allow them to gather new sources of wealth such as spices, silk and gold. Christopher Columbus was born in 1451 which was the period of the Renaissance. It was a time marked by renewed interest in art, culture and exploration. As mentioned before, countries such as Spain and Portugal wanted to expand their empires and spread Christianity to new lands. This was the perfect period for Columbus to explore new lands since people began to chase secular pursuits and there was greater emphasis on human potential and human progress (Tammy, n. d. ). Knowledge became the key to understanding the world that surrounded human beings and Columbus’ voyage would directly help in increasing this thirst for knowledge. During this period there was increased trade and commercial activity, growth of cities and towns and the expansion of learning all aided in fueling Columbus desire to initiate his voyage. After landing on the island which he named San Salvador on his first voyage, Columbus sailed to other islands including Cuba and Hispaniola. Columbus returned to Spain in March of 1493 and although his first voyage was almost a failure, he lost his biggest ship and did not find the promised route to the west, the Spanish Monarchs were very intrigued with his discoveries. Spain financed three more voyages for him with the aim of establishing permanent colonies (Minster, 2012b). As can be seen there are various factors which contributed to Columbus’ voyage, including his personal interests, Spain’s interest of expanding its empire and religion and the time period in which his voyage took place. Today, Columbus is remembered for both the ‘good and the bad’ since he discovered the Americas but also opened the doors for exploitation, subjugation and slavery.

Domestic & International Market

Types of resources and capabilities underlie BMW Approach to Innovations. Founded In 1916, Bayberries Motormen Worker GAG, well known as BMW, Is a German automobile company, mall headquarter In Munich, Germany. Well, BMW also known as one of the leading manufacturing of luxury cars. Nowadays when we are walling form Apple Inc. To launch their new generation innovative cell phone, the same image BMW has in today's world market regarding their new innovative features luxury cars. BMW has gained the status of innovative luxury cars by utilizing its best resources and provide best qualities to its customer.There are many automobile companies UT there but only few firms in this industry are earned a title of innovations, and BMW comes first in that list. The main reason behind BMW success is their own Research and development center around the world, BMW group spend billions of dollar behind this R to provide best quality and innovative product to its customers. BMW comes In top 25 compan ies of best brand value in the world, today Its brand value exceeded to 25 Billion dollar because of Its R and Innovative Ideas of luxury cars.There are more than 8500 employees are working at Research and Development center of BMW around the globe. When I look over to the BMW group site, I found many facts about BMW regarding their innovative strategies. When I review their website I found out that currently BMW R teams are working for 2020 product of BMW. The assembly line of BMW is also ranked 1st in the auto industry by their innovative process of manufacturing luxury cars. BMW are more focused on their efficient innovation process by its innovative culture.The structure of company's culture are more emphasis on differentiate and innovative ideas, and there is no doubt that BMW is holding one of the best talented pools of employees and cosmologies to approach the innovation. As per my opinion BMW will maintain Its title of Innovation because of their advance technologies such as using own optimizing engine, lower emission advance technologies, habitation, electrification and newly developed connected drive technologies. Bum's Sustainable Production.Bum's sustainable production has focused on many important factors as it mentioned below. Advanced technology by reducing emission of CO to 50%. BMW is leader in using renewable energy for production and value. Electro mobility. Always ready for future challenge by advanced technology. Continuous improvement in employee motivation for innovation. Less consumption on natural resources in production. Mobility patterns. Raising workforce awareness by providing essential training to the employees. Product Safety.Sustainable construction and process. More focusing on Opportunities Strong Brand Value. As per the current BMW strategic action regarding the future production as well as with advanced innovative technology, BMW is the only firm I found who can survived even after we will out of the fuel energy, BMW had alr eady started working on hydroelectric advanced vehicle production, environment friendly and safety icicles, advanced production process which helps BMW to maintain its title of innovative firm.How do the resources, capabilities, and activities of BMW contribute to its differentiation strategy and unique position in the industry it has achieved? By using advanced technology and innovative ideas for production and best quality product, BMW had earned the best brand value in auto industry. BMW is also recognize as leader of innovation in auto industry, I still remember that when I bought Phone AS which had feature of Sir, but I also found out that BMW had developed this feature long back in 2006 in their BMW 7 series Models.None of the firm in auto industry had achieved in advanced technology yet and BMW group is the only company who looks to the future and gears its actions towards the long term. Well, BMW is not only one who is spending large amount on R&D, there are many other autom obile industry does same, but the uniqueness of BMW is the process and strategy they are using, the different culture of innovation spread in BMW, the status of innovation and advanced technology, the status brand and many other factor are consider to be the uniqueness of BMW.BMW had keep this innovative title form last two decades cause of their uniqueness and differentiate strategy where other automobile companies find hard to adopt it, the main reason behind this uniqueness is the firm's organization culture of innovation where all employees are allowed to think different and something new that world had never seen.

Purchasing Power Parity and the Big Mac Index Essay

Purchasing Power Parity and the Big Mac Index - Essay Example On the other hand, a US Dollar has more purchasing power than a Pakistani or Indian Rupee. These differences are usually because of availability and demand for the goods amongst other factors. By taking an international measure and determining the cost for that measure in each of the two currencies and comparing them we can solve this problem. (McGuigan, 2008) This formula represents the exchange rate of one currency in relative terms to another currency. P1 is the price of an item in one currency while P2 is the price of the same item in another currency (Investopedia, 2008). Although according to this theory, the relative prices for a same product should be equal in two different locations. However we rarely see this happen. This theory doesn't even hold true in areas inside a city. For example in a high end posh area of a city might sell the same product at a much higher rate than the shop set up in a low end area. This brings us to the most popular example of purchasing power parity, the Big Max Index. Calculated by the Economist Magazine, the Big Mac index is used to find the exchange rate to determine the value of other items. Since McDonalds is virtually in every country, this index is readily applicable. All we need is the price of Big Mac in the two countries we need to find the exchange rate of. For example a Big Mac in US costs around $4 while a Big Mac in India costs Rupees 200 thus the index will be $1 equivalent to Rs. 50. This index is used further to get an idea of the actual exchange rate in the market and to determine the relative value of other items. (McGuigan, 2008) The main use of the index is to find the GDP and hence the standard of living of the people in a certain location. When we are determining the Gross Domestic Product of a country, a fall in the value of the currency relative to another base currency, will make the GDP fall by the same value. Taking the same example of the Indian Rupee and the US Dollar, a fall in the Rupee by 50%, will force the GDP expressed in US dollars to drop to 50%. This piece of information does not reflect true picture of the situation since the devaluation of the Indian currency maybe due to the international trade issues. However when we look at each day's exchange rates of the Dollar to the Rupee, we see fluctuations coming each day. But when we use the Big Mac index, these fluctuations are not reflected into the price of Big Mac each day. The price of the Big Mac remains to be Rs. 200 for quite a while even though the value of Dollar is increasing. Purchasing Power Parity - Analysis When we talk about the long-run, the purchasing power parity theory tells us that differences in the prices of the items in different countries are not sustainable as forces acting in the market place will equalize prices between countries and change exchange rates in doing so. Consider an example of a person who finds that the price of tomatoes is $5 lesser in another state. Traveling to the other state will cost the person $50 in fuel, thus just to save $5, this trip will incur a loss to the person. But when you consider bulk purchase this scenario comes out to be completely